The Village Discussion - ****MAJOR SPOLIERS****

[ErikdaRed]

I'm suprised the three monkeys haven' t been brought up yet.

 

[TigerBear]

I don't pay enough attention to security warnings for the colors to have meaning. Isn't it possible that the color red is in reference to The Red Army? In the history of our country, have we ever truly feared a country like we did the Soviet Union?

ErikdaRed, what three monkeys? Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil??

 

[kayeandjim00]

The way I interpreted what I was reading about the colors was more the security warnings now "yellow" for caution (the robes they wear when they patrol and "red" was the color they used for danger "the bad color", etc. Similar to how they change the colors when the risk of terroism is high. Again I don't know if it's true or not but that's a theory I have read.

 

[Kallison]

M. Night uses the color red as symbolism in his movies which were pre-9/11: Here is a blurb about The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable -

From a technical standpoint, the movie is elegantly filmed and choreographed. The movie has the haunting quality and mysterious visuals of The Sixth Sense. Red is the color motif used in The Sixth Sense to tell us that something otherworldly is happening. Here it is the spectrum of colors that you see in bright contrast to the rest of the world. The mystery presented is allowed to unfold with grace and dignity through the quiet dialogue of the actors and through various, very commonplace venues. I enjoyed watching this movie for its storytelling virtuosity.

 

[Jungle Skipper]

I read the shooting script months ago, and the dialogue is HORRIBLE...just like in signs and unbreakable....MNS just cannot write well..IMHO. It's all so trite and forced. I get sick of the comparrison between him and Hitchcock....Thats an insult to Hitch...

As for the story, I felt it was lame, not as bad as signs (why do aliens who cant be around water come to earth????) I think the Sixth Sense was a good movie...but I had it figured out half way through.

I dunno...I might see the movie eventually. probably on video...and only because I have a sad addiction to movies.

Just my rambling thoughts.

Jungle Josh

 

[CourtasanSatine]

I'm curious,mostly because I loved Signs and a fan of Joaquin Phoenix.Is this worth it or wait till 1.50

 

[mtblujeans]

What gave me a sad feeling about the movie was what all the other parents had given up. The movie opens with the burial of one child who had died from illness. They did not breach the borders for medical care for that child. Noah was autistic, his parents did not get help or special education for him. Then Ms. Walker lost her sight in childhood, no special medical care was sought outside of the village for her. Those parents all decided they would make the best of it, in effect, and let their children live, or not live, with what they were facing KNOWING there was good medical care available. Did Mr. Walker decide they had given up enough when he sent his blind daughter into a modern society on the other side of the woods to beg for medicines for a young man she stated she could not live without? He could not stand to see her die, in whatever form that may have taken, if he died too? What would be more heartbreaking would be to see the looks on those children's faces if they had actually been in the position where the Village had failed and they would have had to explain why they had to integrate back into a society so different from their own small surroundings, and why their parents had lied to them about it! The movie still leaves a bizarre feeling in my gut.

 

[Skywalker]

I just got back from seeing it. I really liked it, but then I was forewarned not to expect a "scary" movie, so I knew it would slower, quieter, more thought provoking.

My question is, do you think the Ivy character will now continue to keep the secret and go along with the elders? I don't see her as the type of person to perpetuate this...that would mean she would have to lie to Lucius.

My cousin and I were arguing over this. She thinks Ivy will keep quiet and continue the charade, I say no way, once Lucius is well they will probably at least leave together.

What do you think?

 

[mtblujeans]

Boy, if I were her, I would be confused. Dad told her the beasts were nothing to fear, yet one attacked her in the forest. Don't you think she has some doubt? Maybe there are 1 or 2 monsters in the woods that Dad may not realize. I am hoping that Dad had more of a talk with her than what they showed. Can we assume that he explained why the Village is protected the way they decided to protect it? I am not sure she understands what the outside world is, tho'. Gosh, I just don't know the answers.....we were not given enough information to get those answers....do you agree??

 

[ZachnElli]

Originally posted by mtblujeans
What gave me a sad feeling about the movie was what all the other parents had given up. The movie opens with the burial of one child who had died from illness. They did not breach the borders for medical care for that child. Noah was autistic, his parents did not get help or special education for him. Then Ms. Walker lost her sight in childhood, no special medical care was sought outside of the village for her. Those parents all decided they would make the best of it, in effect, and let their children live, or not live, with what they were facing KNOWING there was good medical care available. Did Mr. Walker decide they had given up enough when he sent his blind daughter into a modern society on the other side of the woods to beg for medicines for a young man she stated she could not live without? He could not stand to see her die, in whatever form that may have taken, if he died too? What would be more heartbreaking would be to see the looks on those children's faces if they had actually been in the position where the Village had failed and they would have had to explain why they had to integrate back into a society so different from their own small surroundings, and why their parents had lied to them about it! The movie still leaves a bizarre feeling in my gut.

I thought this too. But Mr. Walker did say to another elder, "who do you think will lead the village when we are gone?" Or something to that affect. So he saw Luscious as a future leader of their village. But I thought the same thing, why didn't they plan ahead and have medicine stockpiled for what are now simple illnesses that could be deadly without medicine?

 

[nkjzmom]

Originally posted by mtblujeans
Boy, if I were her, I would be confused. Dad told her the beasts were nothing to fear, yet one attacked her in the forest. Don't you think she has some doubt? Maybe there are 1 or 2 monsters in the woods that Dad may not realize. I am hoping that Dad had more of a talk with her than what they showed. Can we assume that he explained why the Village is protected the way they decided to protect it? I am not sure she understands what the outside world is, tho'. Gosh, I just don't know the answers.....we were not given enough information to get those answers....do you agree??

I thought about this also. But remember that as she is traveling she is hearing the things her father told her and one of them is that "there were rumors of creatures", so the elders took those rumors and made it work for them. So maybe she believes those rumors were true????

I can't tell why, but I had a feeling in my gut that this movie was really taking place at present time. I really wasn't surprised by it...now the living on the reserve and the billionaire dying and using the money to keep it protected....that was a surprise.

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by Tinkbell
Yeah, he definitely sent her because of her blindness. She could not see the real world and report back to the others. That's why his directions included that her 2 escorts, that ran away, wait for her in the woods.

The thing that bothered me was them thinking that Noah's death was a good thing and made their way of life stronger. I didn't get the politcal meanings some of you did on my first viewing, but I bet this could be some sort of politcal message too.

I think Noah represents the fearless Liberal that "head in the sand" Republicans lock away in silent rooms.

Yes, I'm kidding.

I was disappointed in the film. I still found it very interesting, but it was NOT the movie I was going to see.

I had part of the movie figured out in the first scene. The tombstone had dates in the 1800's. Shyamalan doesn't ever reveal anything that he doesn't want you to notice. Seeing the date automatiay mde me think that Shyamalan WANTED us to think it was the 1800's, so I knew it wasn't.

 

[TigerBear]

Originally posted by ZachnElli
why didn't they plan ahead and have medicine stockpiled for what are now simple illnesses that could be deadly without medicine?

That kind of goes back to the question I asked above. Why the late 1800's? They literally changed their lives to live in a different era (dress, architecture, dialect), which included only using medicine from that time period. It must have been Walker's favorite time in history.

Why not stay living in the 1970's (or whatever decade it was)?

 

[treesinger]

I found the most disturbing part of the film to be the fact that people were dead and injured in the Village when they could have possibly prevented all of the situations from happening just by having modern medicine. Just on that point, I was mulling over whether or not the benefits of the Village outweighed the risk. IMO, they don't.

I don't think it was an allegory for terrorism. I think on one simple point. We are not being kept in a stuation of fear just so we'll play along.

That said, I'm not sure what point Shyamalan was trying to make.

For those keeping score, Sixth Sense was his best with Signs being a super-close second. Signs actually helped me, in its own small way, help me find the faith I now have. That will always be a special movie to me. But it still wasn't as good a film in general as 6th sense was.

 

[mtblujeans]

That is what my son asked me as we were driving home. I graduated from high school in 1973. I never really thought too much about the '70's until lately. I saw a historical piece on TV about how violent the hippies of the '60's and '70's were ~ actually I was shocked! I did not remember it that way. It is a wonder all of our parents did not drown us back then!! Actually, the statements in the movie were that violence had happened to some of those families during the 1970's, didn't it? The husband was killed....I don't remember what else, now. But, it appeared that the '70's and their fear might have pushed them into this arrangement in the first place.

I also noticed the date on the child's headstone when the movie first started. I thought there must be a reason for showing it but it did not click with me until much later.

 

[TigerBear]

Originally posted by mtblujeans
But, it appeared that the '70's and their fear might have pushed them into this arrangement in the first place.

They definitely separated themselves because of the impact of crime. But why give up modern medicine? Why speak differently? Why dress differently? Why not just live seperately?

 

[mtblujeans]

Gosh, I just don't know. This movie left more questions than answers! If you try to look at it thru Walker's eyes, he did what he was able to with what he had available to him. Perhaps that time in history was a time he felt lent itself to being isolated. I noticed that he had even arranged for airspace to be restricted! But I don't understand being without medicines. Even an ear infection in a child, left untreated, could cause serious complications. Puzzling!

 

[Robinrs]

I, too, noticed the dates on the tombstone and assumed it was to show the age of the child buried and how distraught the family was and why. Don't ALL tombstones have year dates on them?

I think M.Night did do something that he planned for. He has people TALKING about this movie. I remember all of the theories that came up after The Birds, everyone had an answer as to what the birds represented, etc. THIS movie totally drowned out another thought provoking movie that actually got GOOD reviews, the Manchurian Candidate. I'm sure they wished they opened on another weekend!

 

[Thumpersmom]

I'm glad I saw it before I read any discussion. We went last night so it would not be ruined by someone else. I figured out the first twist early on but was happy there were more twists. I was definately looking for "clues" during the movie which I think distracted me from it. You need to go with someone who you can discuss the movie with afterwards. I noticed this morning the commercials have changed and they focus more on the people and less on the "monsters". I think I like the movie more today then I did last night.

I also told my DH we would see a lot of Red Robe monsters this Halloween!

 

[jenfur]

I'm curious,mostly because I loved Signs and a fan of Joaquin Phoenix.Is this worth it or wait till 1.50

Go see it now - you'll love it!

I do not think it was political in any way. M. Night frequently uses red as something sinister in his movies. Walker is a name that fit the period they were trying to reproduce. This is a Shyamalan film, not a Moore film.

As to why the 1800s, I think the elders chose a time they liked - you know how people imagine the good ole'days. Everything would have been better if we lived back in...

I even whispered to my DH after if had been showing about 30 min, "that looks like a nice place to live" (the community, everyone close to one another, ect.) he looks at me like I am crazy "yeah with all the monsters in the woods leaving dead animals all around ...real nice Jen!" It was a nice little community though.

They all (elders) suffered greatly, they met at a counseling service. They thought what they were doing was right at the time and if you notice, questioned it often.

The movie is supposed to make you ask more questions and it does.

Will Ivy and Lucias continue the Village? She believes that she killed a monster, and they are going to tell them the monster killed Noah, so yes Ivy will believe. However, I think Lucias will be willing to go into the woods latter on after she tells him what Walker told her, he would want to investigate.

I think they were all good people who traded one set of sorrows for another, one set of fears for another and constantly struggle with the price, if their decisions were the right ones.